• Juan Carlos Durán Alonso and M del Mar Pageo Giménez.
• Unidad de Geriatría, Servicio Medicina Interna, Hospital Juan Grande, O.H. San Juan de Dios, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, España. juancaduran@ono.com
• Rev Esp Geriatr Gerontol. 2008 Jan 1; 43 Suppl 3: 25-32.

AbstractDelirium is a highly prevalent geriatric syndrome, whose therapeutic management is complex due to the interaction of multiple possible causes in predisposed individuals. Treatment should be etiologic, aiming to treat the cause of the delirium. However, a series of therapeutic measures that facilitate the appropriate care of affected patients should also be provided and sometimes drugs should be used to control symptoms. The present article aims to review studies published on non-pharmacological treatment of delirium, with a special section on the use of restraints in elderly people with this syndrome. We present the distinct options that should be considered in an individually-tailored, multidisciplinary care plan, in which physicians, nurses, therapists, physiotherapists and social workers collaborate to improve quality of life in the elderly patient with delirium. We review the modifications to the environment (design of a daily routine, sleep hygiene, physical exercise and leisure activity during the day) required in patients with delirium.

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